08.08 – Leave no space to space out
Doing anything worthwhile requires attentiveness. A sportsperson has to be on high alert to perform in the sporting arena.
This need for attentiveness applies all the more so in spiritual life, wherein we strive to do the supremely worthwhile thing – attain eternal love for Krishna and thereby do the highest good for ourselves as well as others.
In spiritual life, we need attentiveness to sense Krishna’s presence and action in our lives, and more importantly, to sense how we can best serve him amidst life’s ever-changing situations.
When we let ourselves become inattentive and space out, we soon get dragged down by lower desires just as an object left in space is dragged down by gravity. That’s why Gita wisdom urges us to practice being Krishna conscious consistently, even constantly.
To ensure that we leave no space to be spaced out, we need to see attentiveness not as an excruciating demand, but as an exciting opportunity. Instead of seeing attentiveness negatively as something we have to do to protect ourselves, we can see it positively as the gateway to philosophical illumination and devotional enrichment.
Every moment that we are conscious of Krishna, we get deeper realizations of the truths of Gita wisdom and we become increasingly attracted towards Krishna. The Bhagavad-gita (08.08) reassures us that those who practice staying focused on Krishna surely attain him.
Though such practice may be difficult initially, the more we train ourselves, the more we will realize how productive it makes us. We will no longer be draining ourselves internally by thinking about things that make us bored or worried or dissatisfied. By thinking about Krishna, we will find inner satisfaction, keep our thoughts clear, and thereby act intelligently and effectively. Then, we will have no doubt that Krishna consciousness is the best consciousness.
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He who meditates on Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his mind constantly engaged in remembering Me, undeviated from the path, he, O Partha, is sure to reach Me.